


Strongest of All

by MillerMad



Category: Emmerdale, robron
Genre: Drama, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-03
Updated: 2018-03-10
Packaged: 2019-03-26 12:01:23
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,809
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13857378
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MillerMad/pseuds/MillerMad
Summary: Aaron and Robert have reunited. Their relationship is stronger than ever, but other obstacles in life are still to be overcome.





	1. Chapter 1

Strongest of All – Chapter 1  
-O-  
DISCLAIMER: I am not connected to Emmerdale and its characters, which belong to ITV  
-O-  
The strains of Gladys Knight and the Pips’ ‘Midnight Train to Georgia’ were wafting through the Mill. Aaron was curled up on the sofa with Robert and he smiled to himself as he held his husband’s hand in his own. He was smiling because he remembered accusing Robert of having terrible taste in music and Gladys Knight was not his usual choice, but he would listen to anything that Robert wanted to listen to, such was his love for him.  
As he heard Gladys sing “I’d rather live in his world, than live without him in mine,” the line suddenly struck a chord with him. He realised that it fitted, exactly, his own situation. He knew now that he could never live without Robert: his soul mate. He twisted his head around to kiss his husband full on the lips.  
As their lips parted, Robert smiled at the uncharacteristic, spontaneous display of affection from Aaron, “What was that for?” he asked.  
“Do I need a reason?” Aaron replied, defensively.  
Robert’s grin broadened, he knew that there probably was a reason for the kiss but that Aaron would not offer up an explanation easily: he knew him so well. He decided to kiss Aaron back, as it seemed an appropriate response.  
Just then, Liv clomped down the spiral staircase, interrupting their private moment.  
“Get a room, you two!” she said as she headed for the door, wrapped up to protect her from the bitterly cold weather outside.  
“Where are you going?” Aaron asked, not bothering to respond to his little sister’s teasing remark.  
“Round to Vic’s,” Liv replied, “she’s asked me round for tea and my guess is you’d rather have the place to yourselves for a while.”  
“Take care out there,” Aaron looked worried, “don’t slip on the ice.”  
Liv was always touched by her big brother’s concern for her, even though she rarely showed it: a trait she shared with him.  
“It’s only a few steps to her place, don’t fuss.” So saying, she headed through the doorway, closing the prettily-patterned part-glazed inner door behind her.  
Robert chuckled, “She’s a good kid, wanting us to have some quality time together.”  
Aaron snuggled into Robert’s arms contentedly, “Yeah, she is.”  
Robert stroked Aaron’s dark, curly hair, “As we’ve got the place to ourselves, we could take advantage of the situation.”  
“What do you have in mind?” Aaron asked.  
Robert didn’t answer, but instead pulled Aaron off of the sofa and towards the stairs. Aaron could read Robert’s thoughts.  
Once in the bedroom, they stripped quickly and fell into a tight, naked embrace. Ever since their first passionate tryst when they first met, they had always had a hunger for each other that neither of them could deny. It was as if their bodies as well as their souls were destined to fuse together as one.  
They fell onto the bed: their lips locked, their tongues duelling, their fully aroused sex organs rubbing together hard. They could have easily climaxed in this position, but they both wanted more. Aaron moved onto his back and spread his legs. Robert knew that Aaron was willing and able and it made his manhood become even stiffer as he anticipated the lovemaking that would surely follow. He positioned himself between Aaron’s hairy legs and took aim.  
“Oooohhhh!” Aaron moaned as he felt the familiar penetration: he loved to feel Robert’s huge endowment inside him. It never failed to thrill him and, as his husband started his rhythmic thrusting, it massaged his special spot inside. He lived for moments like this, having his one true love, his other half, possessing him and proving his love. He was in ecstasy and soon climaxed, his spasming body triggering Robert’s own orgasm deep inside him.  
They lay together for a while in silence. No words were necessary; they had such a close bond that each of them knew the other’s thoughts without a word being spoken. They had just shared the most intimate, loving experience that any two people could ever know.  
After a while, they climbed off the bed and then took a shower together, soaping each other’s firm, fit bodies and washing each other clean. They dressed and headed down the stairs again, just in time to meet Gerry walking through the front door. He looked at them, a knowing smirk playing around his lips, “Sorry, I hope I haven’t interrupted anything!”  
“I thought you’d gone into town,” Robert said, without replying to Gerry’s obvious attempt to be cheeky.  
“The buses are cancelled due to the bad weather,” Gerry replied, “I went to the Woolie for a pint, but I could only pay for one as I’m skint. You couldn’t lend me a tenner, could you?”  
“There’s some beers in the fridge,” Aaron said, “Help yourself to one of those. We were just about to have one ourselves,” he gesticulated towards his husband.  
“Okay, cheers,” Gerry replied, “as long as I’m not getting in the way.”  
“You’re always in the way, mate,” Robert laughed, “why should today be any different?”  
“I could always go back outside and freeze to death!” Gerry feigned a hurt expression.  
“Nah!” Aaron laughed along with his husband, “We couldn’t live with that on our conscience! Anyway, you’d only come back as a ghost and haunt us.”  
“I saw Liv going into Vic’s earlier,” Gerry said as he fetched cans of beer for them all, “she was just going in as Bex was going out.”  
“Going out?” Robert looked surprised, “Where would she be going in this weather?”  
“She wasn’t walking,” Gerry replied, “that Joe Tate character was picking her up in his posh car.”  
“Joe Tate?” Robert’s hackles rose at the sound of his enemy’s name, “I didn’t think she knew him. What about Seb?”  
“Neither did I,” Gerry answered, “Seb’s okay. I asked after him as I passed by and Vic said she was babysitting. I guess she and Liv are both babysitting now.”  
“Liv adores Seb,” Aaron butted in, “that’s probably why she was so quick to go round there when Vic asked her.”  
“I’m surprised Joe Tate would want to risk driving his precious car in this icy weather,” Robert sneered.  
“He wasn’t driving, Graham was,” Gerry replied.  
“Oh!” Robert exclaimed, “I expect superman Graham has been an army snowmobile driver in his time.”  
They all laughed.  
xxxxxxxxxx  
The next morning, Aaron looked out of the window and saw that the snow was thick on the ground. Being March it had fallen late this year and caught everyone by surprise. Aaron opened the fridge and was relieved to see that there was milk in there. Robert had obviously bought some from the shop the day before. He thought that Robert might be a nightmare at times with his cocky attitude, but he was also a highly organised person and that was one of his strengths. Aaron also knew that his husband loved him unconditionally and he had felt totally safe since they had reunited after a long split.  
As he poured milk into three cups ready to brew some tea, Aaron mused on his life. He realised that he was finally happy with life, perhaps for the first time ever. Not that everything was rosy: far from it. Joe Tate had tricked Jimmy King into handing over the haulage company books on the pretext of getting them checked by an accountant and this had later caused Robert to call in the liquidators. Tate was also displeased with the scrap yard and had put his team of lawyers onto looking into getting it shut down.  
It was no secret that Joe Tate hated the Dingle family and he had already dug up some dirt on Charity. After her spell in prison, his legal team found a loophole which caused her to be judged an unfit person to own a public house and caused her to lose her licence. That put Chas in an awkward position as she could not afford the Woolpack on her own, but Robert had stepped in as a partner, using his own money to save Chas from having to give up her livelihood and her home. This had actually had the effect of making Chas and Robert closer, which was good news for Aaron.  
Joe Tate also hated Robert Sugden with the same venom that he felt for the Dingles. Robert had insulted Tate’s parents and, after all, was now an honorary Dingle being that he was Aaron’s life partner.  
Robert and Liv came down the stairs in rapid succession, just as Aaron was putting some toast in the rack on the breakfast table. They all sat down to eat.  
“So, did you enjoy yourself at Vic’s last night?” Aaron looked at Liv.  
“Yeah,” Liv replied, “she makes a mean spag bol!”  
“I hear Bex went out with Joe Tate last night,” Robert was keen to obtain any details that he could about his arch enemy.  
“Yeah,” Liv replied, “I think they’re seeing each other.”  
“What?” Robert could not believe his ears.  
Aaron’s insecurities were never far from the surface, “Why does that matter to you?” he looked at Robert.  
“She’s Seb’s mother,” Robert quickly picked up on the fact that Aaron might be uneasy if he felt that Robert was jealous of Tate going out with his ex, “I don’t want to be sharing custody of my son with that slimeball.”  
“It’s a bit early to start worrying about that,” Aaron felt relieved that Robert was not bothered about Bex going out with another man, “they must have only been on one or two dates and you’ve got them married off already.”  
“I just don’t want Tate anywhere near Seb,” Robert felt that he was justifying himself, “I don’t trust him.”  
“Well, you can’t dictate who Bex sees and doesn’t see,” Liv, despite her young age, could sometimes be relied upon to impart a word of wisdom.  
“As long as Seb is safe, that’s all that concerns me,” Robert replied with a worried expression.  
“He’ll be fine,” Aaron tried to reassure his ever loving, “even Tate wouldn’t hurt a little baby.”  
Robert did not reply, but he was not necessarily convinced. However, he knew that arguing the point with his family would not achieve anything, so he kept quiet.  
After breakfast, Robert and Aaron trudged through the deep snow to the scrapyard. Gerry was having a cup of tea when they arrived at the portacabin.  
“Nice to see you’re busy!” Aaron could always be relied on to make a sarcastic comment at Gerry’s expense.  
“I needed to warm myself up,” Gerry defended himself, he was never too sure whether Aaron was being serious or not, “I’ve been shifting that scrap metal and I was freezing my bits off out there.”  
Robert set up his laptop computer and opened his emails. “I don’t believe this!” he exclaimed.  
Aaron joined his husband to look at the screen so that he could also see what Robert was so intent on.  
“Can they do that?” he finally said after he had digested the contents of the message.  
“I’m afraid they can,” Robert had a face like thunder, “the environmental health people have that power, not that we deserve to be shut down. I’ll kill that Tate: this is all his doing.”  
Aaron looked crestfallen. His love life might have taken a turn for the better, but other aspects of his life were not going so well. The only consolation being that he had Robert now and they would be able to face their problems together. But he still knew that there was a battle brewing with Joe Tate, judging by the look on Robert’s face.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aaron and Robert's fight with Joe Tate escalates

Strongest of All – Chapter 2  
-O-  
DISCLAIMER: I am not connected to Emmerdale and its characters, which belong to ITV  
-O-  
“Now Robert, don’t do anything stupid!” Aaron was trying to restrain his husband as they stood in their living room at the Mill.  
Robert was boiling mad that Joe Tate had not only caused the collapse of his haulage business, but now his scrap yard too. He was all for storming round to Home Farm and giving Joe Tate a good hiding, but Aaron, for once, was erring on the side of caution.   
Robert looked at his husband, “But I can’t let him get away with this Aaron!”  
“Look,” Aaron was being the voice of reason, “I could strangle him myself: with my bare hands. But, if we go steaming in there and assault him, we’ll both end up in jail! I, for one, have had quite enough of the taste of prison food, thank you very much.”  
Robert looked into Aaron’s perfect blue eyes. Those eyes always calmed him like nothing else ever could and he suddenly changed tack. He drew Aaron into a hug.   
“You’re right of course,” he said softly, “we’ve got to be clever. But he’s not going to get away with this: I’ll get my own back.”  
“How?”  
Robert put his forehead against his husband’s, “I haven’t figured it out yet, but I’ll think of something.”  
Aaron gave Robert a peck on the lips, “I’m sure you will, but don’t shut me out like you used to. We’re together now, a partnership, so let me help you. I want to kick his arse too, for getting the scrap yard closed down.”  
xxxxxxxxxx  
The weeks passed and Robert, with Aaron’s help, tried to formulate a plan to get even with Joe Tate. He set about trying to dig up some incriminating evidence against Tate, but the millionaire always covered his tracks well, so it was a difficult task. Meanwhile, Robert and Aaron kept themselves occupied by helping out in their new business enterprise: the Woolpack. Aaron also occasionally helped Cain in the garage when he wasn’t pulling pints at the pub. He thought it ironic that he had ended up working with both his mother and uncle in two family-run businesses.  
Robert also used his keen business brain to think up ideas for making the Woolpack more profitable. He knew he could not spend all his time on his vendetta against Joe Tate, much as he would have liked to. He had a stake in the pub now and wanted to prove to Chas that he could be trusted. Against the odds, Chas had warmed to him. She could see how much he adored her son and, despite his one big mistake the year before in sleeping with Rebecca, he had not put a foot wrong. Like Aaron, she was also impressed that he had stepped up for his son Seb and fatherhood seemed to have tamed him.   
Robert had a bit of a breakthrough when he bumped into an old business contact of his, Kevin Wainwright. Kevin was the boss of a tour operating company and Robert thought that he might be able to arrange for the Woolpack to be made a stop-off point for refreshments for coach parties of Yorkshire Dales tourists. He knew Kevin quite well from his time working for Lawrence White and, whilst chatting to Kevin, the subject of Joe Tate happened to crop up. It turned out that Kevin Wainwright had once been stitched up by Tate and he hated him almost as much as Robert did. He felt that he now had an ally in getting revenge on the millionaire.  
Meanwhile, Joe Tate and Rebecca White’s relationship appeared to be getting serious. Bex was spending a lot of time at Home Farm and after a short romance Joe Tate arranged for her and Seb to move in. Victoria was a bit concerned about Bex’s mental state after her head injury from the crash that had killed her father and sister, but Joe Tate convinced Victoria that Bex and Seb would be well looked after.   
Tate’s assurances were scant consolation to Robert. He did not trust his enemy at all and feared for Seb’s safety at Home Farm. Aaron had to use all his persuasive powers to stop his husband from going to Home Farm and snatching Seb from Joe Tate’s clutches. Tate made it clear that Robert was not welcome at Home Farm, despite him being Seb’s father. Robert was missing his son terribly and only gained access to him when Bex brought him to Vic’s for a visit.   
Another month passed. Aaron and Robert had settled into a routine of helping Chas to run the pub. Robert saw Seb occasionally when Victoria was babysitting him at Keeper’s Cottage and sometimes he was able to bring Seb back to the Mill and he, Aaron and Liv were able to look after him there. Aaron had grown to love Seb and Robert thought that he made an excellent surrogate father as he was so good with children. But, Robert wanted more than the brief meetings with his son. He wanted to be a proper father to him and one day he decided to ignore Joe Tate’s ban and visit Home Farm to demand proper access. Aaron was afraid that Robert might lose control when he came face to face with his enemy, so he insisted in accompanying his husband.   
On arrival at Home Farm, Robert and Aaron knocked on the door and, as expected, Graham answered.  
“What do you want?” Graham eyed them suspiciously.  
“I’m here to talk to Joe and arrange proper access to see my son,” Robert said firmly.  
They moved to walk in through the door but Graham blocked their way, “I don’t think so.”  
Robert had a face like thunder, “I might have known that Tate’s henchman would try to stop us. If you won’t let us in, I’ll have to have it out with ‘slimeball features’ in the main street when he’s next in the village. Which would you prefer?”  
Graham could see how determined Robert was, so he decided a private talk with his boss in the house was preferable to a slanging match in the middle of the village later on. So he let them in.  
As they walked into the sitting room, Joe looked at them and spoke, “I thought I told you not to come here, Richard.” Joe Tate always deliberately called him the wrong name to try to wrong-foot Robert.   
“You know it’s Robert,” he replied, “but never mind that. I want to set up a legal arrangement to have access to my son.”  
“Who?” Tate sneered in his usual way.  
“Seb, my son,” Robert replied, although he knew that Tate was being difficult just for the sake of it.   
“You don’t get it, do you?”   
“Get what?” Robert was confused.  
“Seb isn’t your son, he’s my son,” Tate was still smirking.  
Robert was used to Joe Tate’s tricks and responded immediately, “Just because you’re shacked up with his mother, that doesn’t make you his father! I’m his father, biologically.”  
“You sure about that?”  
“Of course, my name is on the birth certificate.”  
“That doesn’t prove a thing,” Joe Tate countered, “Seb’s mine: the dates fit.”  
“What the hell are you on about? You didn’t know Bex until recently.”  
“I slept with Bex,” Tate had a smug look on his face, “as a successful, handsome guy with money to burn, I’m able to pick up posh tarts and get them into bed. I had a one-nighter with Bex a long time back: nine months before Seb was born in fact.”  
For once, Robert was dumb-struck. He stood with his mouth open, so Aaron spoke on his behalf, “You’re winding us up.”  
Joe Tate just cackled.  
Robert then regained the power of speech, “You’re lying! You’re just trying any trick in the book to keep me away from Seb. But I’ll go through every court in the land to get access to my son if I have to. I want to speak to Bex.”  
“She’s upstairs, having a rest. You can’t see her now: I won’t let you disturb her.”  
Robert clenched his fists and snorted with rage, but Aaron restrained him.   
Graham looked at them, “You’ve said what you came here to say, I think you’d better leave now.”  
Robert did not want to leave it there, but he knew he needed to regroup, so he and Aaron left the premises.   
Later, back at the Mill, they were both shell-shocked at Joe Tate’s words.  
“He’ll try any underhand trick in the book to get his own way,” Robert was referring to Tate.  
“Yeah,” Aaron replied, “I know he’s a scumbag, but I never thought he’d stoop that low: claiming that he is Seb’s father.”  
“I know, the idea is ridiculous!”  
Aaron wondered about making his next statement, but he felt that he could not hold his tongue, “Of course, you could get proof.”  
“How do you mean?”  
Aaron gulped nervously, he did not want to upset Robert, “Well, they can find out who Seb’s father is with a DNA test, can’t they?”  
“Aaron!” Robert looked shocked, “Don’t fall for Tate’s lies and let him manipulate you too! He’s playing mind games: Seb is mine, he has to be.”  
“Yeah, I know,” Aaron replied, “I only thought if you had proof, it might shut him up. Not only that, it would give you legal backing to get access to Seb.”  
Robert was momentarily angry at Aaron for questioning his parentage of Seb, but he knew that, as always, his husband only had his best interests at heart. He pulled him into an embrace, “I know, babe. I suppose it would make sense. It’s just that, if I went ahead with a paternity test, it would look as if I’m giving credence to Tate’s crazy claims.”  
“There is another way we could strengthen your case for custody of Seb,” Aaron looked thoughtful.  
“What’s that?” Robert looked bemused.  
“Well, if we were married, I mean properly, legally married, we could prove that Seb would have a stable home with us.”  
“Are you asking me to marry you, Aaron?”  
Aaron smiled at Robert, “Yeah...yeah, I guess I am.”  
Robert hugged Aaron tightly and kissed him fiercely. His dream had finally come true. He was destined to spend the rest of his life with his soul mate.  
When they broke the kiss, they stared into each other’s eyes and Robert spoke, “It’s not the most conventional proposal I’ve ever heard, but I accept. Of course I’ll marry you...for real this time.”  
Just then, Gerry arrived and they broke apart.  
“Don’t mind me,” Gerry said, he could see that he had interrupted a private moment.  
“You can be the first to hear our news,” Robert could not stop grinning, “Aaron has just proposed.”  
“Proposed what?”   
“Robert for chairman of ICI, you idiot,” was Aaron’s sarcastic reply, “he’s just agreed to marry me.”  
“I thought you were already married,” Gerry looked a little bewildered.  
“Not officially,” Robert replied, “this time, it will all be done legally, in church and everything.”  
“You haven’t consulted me,” Aaron looked at Robert, “supposing I don’t want a church wedding?”  
“Blimey,” Gerry chuckled, “you’re the only couple I know who can have a domestic before you’ve even tied the knot!”  
They all laughed, taking Robert’s mind off of his troubles for a moment.   
“Congrats guys, come here!” Gerry said as he pulled Aaron, then Robert, into a hug.  
Robert looked at Gerry after they let go of each other, “So, why are you home early?”  
“Priya said I could knock off early as I’ve got to go to the dentist’s in town.”  
Aaron then addressed Gerry, “Since Sharma’s took you on as their warehouseman, you’re always skiving off.”  
“I can’t help it if Priya fancies me!” Gerry replied cheekily, “anyway, I’ve got to go. I really do have an appointment.”  
After Gerry left, Robert and Aaron embraced again.  
Robert rubbed noses with Aaron, “Well, Mr Sugden, I think we ought to go upstairs and celebrate our engagement.”  
“Sounds good to me Mr Dingle,” Aaron replied, before they both climbed the spiral staircase.   
They both knew that they had new battles to fight, but Mr Sugden and Mr Dingle still needed their own private time for bonding and preparing to face those battles together.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A shock is in store for Aaron and Robert

Strongest of All – Chapter 3  
-O-  
DISCLAIMER: I am not connected to Emmerdale and its characters, which belong to ITV  
-O-  
Aaron was exhausted. Naked with Robert in their bed, he cuddled his husband lovingly. He had never had such love, such openness and such complete contentment with anyone in his life before.   
He was worn out as he and Robert had made love for most of the night, following their official engagement. Each of them had taken active and passive roles in turn and both felt that their hearts could burst from an all-consuming love for each other. To share their deep love in physical form was icing on the cake for both of them. They were so in tune and totally connected and they knew that nothing could ever divide them now. They had been through the worst of times and had come through them all: united and strong.  
Robert rolled on top of Aaron, covering his naked body with his own. Aaron could feel Robert’s stiff weapon against his muscular thigh. He grinned, “You want to go again?”  
“Oh yes,” Robert moaned, “you turn me on something fierce....my beautiful, beautiful husband.”  
“We’re not married yet....not officially anyway.”  
Robert was used to Aaron’s pedantic moods, even at tender, intimate times like these.   
He prevented Aaron from saying anything further by sealing his lips with his own.   
“Mmmmm!” Aaron moaned into Robert’s mouth as his own rampant member reared up again. Even though he had climaxed several times already during the night, he was still highly aroused as he felt Robert’s naked crotch now grinding into his own.  
Just as they were about to start re-enacting the erotic dance that they had already performed over and over, Robert’s mobile phone rang. He reached to grab it from the bedside table.  
“Leave it!” Aaron exclaimed, loudly: he wanted so badly to make love to Robert again, that he barked it out as a command.  
Robert, by this time, had the phone in his hand and looked at it, “It’s Vic...she might be in trouble if she’s ringing at this time of the morning.”  
Aaron, although bitterly disappointed at the interruption, was the first one to understand that a little sister in trouble took priority over pretty much anything else, so he let Robert take the call.  
Robert rolled off of Aaron as he spoke to his sister, “Oh my God! What? Is she okay? What about Seb?”  
Aaron was getting concerned about Robert’s obvious distress. As soon as he finished the call, he immediately spoke, “What’s the matter, babe? Is Vic okay?”  
Robert looked shell-shocked, “Yeah, she’s fine. But something terrible has happened to Bex and Joe Tate is dead!”  
“What?” Aaron could not believe his ears, “How did that happen?”  
Robert climbed off the bed and hurriedly pulled on some clothes as he answered, “Joe took Bex out on the town last night. When they got back to Home Farm, someone took a shot at them when they got out of the car on the driveway. Bex is in hospital, but Joe Tate was shot in the head: sounds like he died instantly. I’m going round to Vic’s to check that she and Seb are okay.”  
Aaron leapt out of bed, “Hold on, I’m coming with you.”  
Robert looked at Aaron, “As passion-killers go, this one just about tops them all. I’m sorry, babe.”  
“Don’t be daft,” Aaron reassured his husband, “it’s not your fault. Anyway, I’ll put a bookmark in the bed and later we can carry on from where we left off.”  
Robert embraced Aaron after he was fully clothed and gave him a peck on the lips, “You’re an idiot.”  
Aaron looked deep into Robert’s eyes, “Takes one to know one.”  
“Love you.”  
“Love you too, babe.”  
xxxxxxxxxx  
At Keeper’s cottage, Robert and Aaron hugged Vic in turn on their arrival and checked that she was alright.   
“I can’t believe it,” Vic said tearfully.  
“How did you find out?” Robert asked.   
Vic gulped, “Graham rang me from the hospital. He sounded really cut up about Joe. But he knew I was babysitting Seb so he contacted me to let me know that Bex was in the hospital. She’s unconscious so I don’t think they know how she is until she wakes up. I was going to go and visit her, but I was looking after Seb so I couldn’t just take off. I’m sorry to ring you so early but I didn’t know what else to do.”  
“You did the right thing,” Robert reassured his little sister, “We can go to the hospital together.”  
“You two go,” Aaron said, “I’ll look after Seb while you go and visit Bex.”  
“Are you sure you can look after him okay?” Vic looked concerned.  
Aaron’s bravado was never far from the surface, “I’ve done it before at home, haven’t I? I can feed him, wind him, change him, what else is he likely to need?”   
Robert looked at Aaron with so much love in his eyes. His husband was a diamond.  
On arrival at the hospital, Robert and Vic found Graham in the waiting room.   
“How is she?” Vic asked.  
Graham looked tired and drawn, “She’s still sedated. Seems she took a bullet to the stomach but they think she’ll survive. I don’t know if the gunman was after both of them or just Joe, but she was in the firing line anyway.”  
Just then, two police officers, one male and one female, walked in.  
The policeman looked at Graham and spoke, “Mr Foster?” he asked.  
Graham answered in the affirmative. The policeman looked at Robert and Vic and back at Graham, “We need to ask you a few questions, but we can go somewhere more private if you prefer.”  
“It’s okay,” Graham replied, “Victoria and Robert are friends of Rebecca’s, we might as well do it here.”  
They all sat down and the policeman began his questioning, “I believe you were at Home Farm when the shooting took place. Did you see or hear anything suspicious?”  
“No,” Graham replied, “I was indoors watching the television. I was going to act as chauffeur for Joe and Rebecca, but he wanted to do the driving himself so he gave me the night off. I was still watching a film when I heard the gunshot outside and Rebecca screaming.”  
“What happened then?”  
“I went straight outside, of course. Joe and Rebecca were both sprawled on the driveway next to the car.”  
“Did you see anyone in the vicinity?”  
“No, it was dark...and anyway, I was more concerned about getting help for them. I dialled 999 and brought blankets from the house to cover them up. I could tell Rebecca was still breathing but Joe wasn’t. I’m trained in first aid, so I gave Joe CPR until the ambulance came. But, I knew he was gone: I could see he had been hit in the head.” Graham looked tearful.  
“Thank you Mr Foster,” the policeman said, “please keep yourself available in case we need to speak with you again. If you remember anything else that might give us a lead, please let us know.”  
Then the policewoman turned to Robert and Victoria, “You are friends of Rebecca and Joe?”  
“Rebecca, yes,” Robert answered, “we have a son together: Seb.”  
“And your name is?”   
“Robert Sugden...and this is my sister, Victoria Barton.”  
“You’re not friends of Joe’s though?”  
“No, not in the slightest.”  
“That’s interesting,” the policeman rejoined the discussion, “Can you tell me where you were last night?”  
“Oh I see,” Robert replied, “you want to eliminate me from your list of suspects? Well, I was at home with my husband, Aaron.”  
“Your husband?” the policeman looked confused, “I thought you said that you have a baby with Rebecca.”  
“That’s right, I’m bisexual,” Robert realised that he had freely revealed his sexuality without giving it a second thought.  
“I see. Can anyone back up your story that you were at home all last night?”  
“Well, Aaron can, of course. Then there’s Liv, Aaron’s sister. Oh, and I think Gerry, our lodger, was in last night too.”  
“Well, thank you all for your time,” the policeman summed up, “we’ll be in touch if we need to speak with you again.”  
xxxxxxxxxx  
Detective Inspector Jon Bradley had been handed Joe Tate’s murder case to deal with. He had made some investigations about Joe Tate’s enemies and had compiled quite a list. In his ruthless climb to the top of the business world, Joe Tate had made a number of foes along the way. Many influential people that he had crossed swords with were contacted by DI Bradley. Then, one afternoon, he asked Kevin Wainwright, the tour operator, to call into the police station to help with his enquiries. They sat in an interview room and Kevin explained how Joe Tate had swindled him and caused the closure of his business and Kevin had then needed to rebuild it afterwards. He hated Joe Tate but DI Bradley was not convinced that Kevin Wainwright had enough motive to kill him. Then, Kevin gave DI Bradley some information that Robert had previously given him: which was that Joe Tate was claiming to be the father of Robert’s son and was keeping Robert away from him. That was interesting news to DI Bradley and he decided to ask Robert a few more questions.  
Robert sat at a desk in the interview room opposite DI Bradley and another police officer.   
“Thank you for coming down to the station, Mr Sugden,” DI Bradley started his line of questioning, “Some information has come to light and I’d like to ask you a few more questions. Is it true that Joe Tate was claiming to be your son’s father?”  
“Who told you that?” Robert was immediately on the defensive, even though he was innocent of any wrongdoing.  
“I’m afraid I’m not at liberty to say at the moment, but is it true?” DI Bradley wanted a straight answer.  
“Yes, he did say that,” Robert replied, “but he liked to play mind games with people. He didn’t like me and he wanted to drive a wedge between me and my son. He’d make up any preposterous claim to stop me from seeing Seb.”  
“So, you must have hated him for that.”  
“Yes, but that doesn’t mean I wanted to kill him.”  
“I’ve got two sons,” DI Bradley continued, “and I can imagine how I would feel about a person who would keep me away from them. If someone claimed to be their father and not me, I know how I’d feel.”  
“If you think I killed Joe Tate, you’re barking up the wrong tree,” Robert became cocky, which in this situation did not do him any favours.  
“Now, we have it on record that you claim to have been at home with your husband on the night of Joe Tate’s death. Can anyone, other than your husband, confirm that?”  
“Well, Aaron and I spent most of the night in our bedroom, although I know that Liv and Gerry were in the house too: they could also verify that I was there.”  
DI Bradley was still not convinced, “So, at eleven o’clock that night, you were in your bedroom with your husband? That’s quite a convenient alibi as no-one can really prove you were there. Even the other occupants of the house can’t confirm your story, unless they were in the bedroom with you at eleven o’clock. Did anyone come into the room at around that time?”  
“No, the door was locked as we were...you know!”  
“I see,” DI Bradley raised his eyebrows, “so really, you can’t prove that you didn’t sneak out of the house, shoot Joe Tate, then sneak back in again?”  
Robert decided to be blunt, “At around that time, I was in bed with my husband. We spent all night in bed, we had just got engaged the evening before, so you can imagine what we wanted to do together.”  
“Engaged?” DI Bradley looked surprised, “You said he is your husband.”  
“He is...well, it was an unofficial ceremony.”  
“So you claim to have been with a man, who you say is your husband: yet he isn’t actually your husband. It’s difficult to believe a word you say.”  
“But, it’s the truth.”  
DI Bradley felt that Robert had a motive and he did not have any impartial witnesses to his whereabouts at the time of the murder, he looked steadily at Robert, “Robert Jacob Sugden, I’m arresting you on suspicion of the murder of Joseph Tate.”


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Robert gets a couple of big shocks

Strongest of All – Chapter 4  
-O-  
DISCLAIMER: I am not connected to Emmerdale and its characters, which belong to ITV  
-O-  
The next morning, Aaron was exhausted again. The previous night it had been because he had made love to Robert all night, but this time it was because he had been fretting and crying all night. He had accompanied his husband to the police station, but had then come back home alone. He had pleaded with the police, trying to convince them that he had been with Robert in their home when Joe Tate was killed, but he had been unsuccessful in getting them to believe him. Now, he was back in his lonely bed, pining for his soul mate and wondering how he was going to get Robert out of his cell.   
He dressed and headed downstairs and found Gerry in the kitchen. Gerry was aware of the fact that Robert was being held in custody, but he did not mention it as he knew that Aaron was very upset about it. He decided that he would only talk about it if Aaron raised the subject.   
“I’ve made some toast,” Gerry said.  
“Thanks mate, but I’m not hungry,” Aaron replied.  
“I never thought I’d see the day when you’d refuse a slice of toast,” Gerry tried to lighten the mood.  
“I never thought I’d see the day when Robert was locked up for something he didn’t do,” Aaron replied with a sullen expression, “I just wish I could prove to the police that he was with me in our bedroom when Joe Tate was shot.”  
“What time was he shot?”  
“They said it was around eleven o’clock.”  
“That must have been about the time that I got back home in the taxi from Hotten,” Gerry said, “I was joking with Robert about putting some clothes on as, when I arrived, he was down here in the kitchen in just his boxers. The taxi driver came in with me as I had to find him some cash.”  
Aaron thought about it, “Yes, I remember, Robert came down to raid the fridge at some point. We wanted a snack as we’d worked up an appetite!”  
“Yeah, I heard the bedsprings creaking!” Gerry replied: he was always a cheeky one.  
A little light bulb suddenly went on in Aaron’s head and he didn’t respond to Gerry’s saucy remark, “Wait a minute, did the taxi driver see Robert here, when he came in?”  
“I don’t think he could have missed him, parading about in all his glory, well, nearly! The driver laughed when I told Robert to put some clothes on.”  
“Gerry, I could kiss you!”  
“Thanks, but I’m not like that,” Gerry chortled.   
“Don’t you see? If we track down your taxi driver and get him to tell the police that he saw Robert here when he dropped you off and they can verify the time, it proves that Robert was here at the time of the shooting and couldn’t have killed Joe Tate.”  
Gerry was never the sharpest tool in the box, but it suddenly dawned on him that he might have got Robert off the hook, “Oh yeah!”  
“What cab firm did you use?”  
“Hotten Station Cabs.”  
“They must have a log of their drivers’ whereabouts. Will you come to the police station with me and tell them what you’ve just told me?”  
“Yeah, of course I will.”  
Aaron knew that Gerry didn’t want him to kiss him, but he grabbed Gerry’s head anyway and planted a smacker on his forehead.   
“Yuck, get off!” Gerry batted him away, but Aaron just smiled: he felt that a great weight had been lifted off his shoulders. He felt confident that there was a taxi driver somewhere in Hotten who could verify Gerry’s story.  
xxxxxxxxxx  
After Aaron took Gerry to the police station and he had given his statement, the police traced the taxi driver from the cab company’s logs and he confirmed, as an independent witness, that he had seen Robert at the Mill at the same time that the crime was committed at Home Farm. So, a jubilant Aaron was able to bring his husband home again. They sat on their sofa in their living room, hand in hand.   
“I’ll have to buy Gerry a present,” Robert smiled at his husband, “if it hadn’t been for him forgetting his money and bringing the cab driver in at that moment and seeing me here, I’d still be rotting in jail.”  
“I don’t want to think about that,” Aaron replied, “I missed you so much last night! I’ve never felt so lonely.”  
Robert kissed Aaron and then stared into his pools of blue, “I missed you too.”  
“Shall we set a date for our wedding? Then the police will have to believe you in future if you tell them I’m your husband.”  
“I hope I never have to convince them again,” Robert looked concerned, “I wonder who did shoot Tate. The police still have to try to solve the mystery. Anyway, I promised to take Vic to see Bex in hospital, now that I’ve been released without any charges.”  
“Can I come?” Aaron asked.  
“Of course you can. We can take Seb with us too. Bex is awake now, so I’m sure she’d love to see him.”  
When they all arrived at the hospital and went to Bex’s bedside, she smiled when they walked in and was relieved to see Seb, safe and well.   
“I’m sorry about Joe,” Robert told her.  
“Thanks,” Bex replied, “it’s a pity: he’d have made a good father to Seb.”  
“I’m Seb’s father,” Robert said, firmly, “he’d have been a stepfather at best.”  
“He could be the father, biologically,” Bex replied, “I know he told you that we slept together nine months before Seb was born, so it must have been him.”  
“You cannot be serious,” Robert looked shocked, “you told me I was the father: don’t tell me you’ve been hoodwinked by Joe Tate and his wild claims.”  
Bex looked at Aaron and Vic, “Could you give us a few minutes?”  
Aaron, with Seb in his arms, turned to leave, “Come on Vic, let’s go grab a coffee.”  
Once they were alone, Bex looked sheepish, “I lied to you Robert. I wanted to get my own back over you dumping me that time and making me have an abortion. I knew the baby could possibly be as the result of the one night stand with Joe. Well actually, I knew him as Tom Waterhouse back then. I didn’t know if I’d ever see him again, so I made out that you were Seb’s father. I’m sorry, but Joe Tate was telling the truth and Seb is his.”  
“But how can you be so sure?” Robert was trying to take it in, “He could be mine, after our one night stand.”  
Bex shook her head, “No, he couldn’t. You really don’t remember what happened that night, do you?”  
“How do you mean?”  
“You were drunk, Robert. You were not capable! Once we had fallen on that bed, you passed out. I just left you there to sleep it off. We never did the deed together Robert: so you can’t be Seb’s father.”  
“You’re lying!” Robert was furious, “I remember doing it!”  
“You must have been dreaming,” Bex said, “I’m being honest with you now. We didn’t have sex that night: you were out cold as soon as your head hit the pillow.”  
Robert felt as if he had just had the rug pulled from under his feet. He suddenly realised that Bex was now being honest. He exploded in rage, “You lying cow! You made me believe that Seb was my child. I even put my name on his birth certificate. All along you knew I wasn’t his father. How could you?”  
Bex was crying now, “I’m sorry. I know now it was a wicked thing to do, but it was one of those lies that gathers momentum as time goes on and it becomes more difficult to turn it around and admit that’s it’s a big, fat lie. In time, you bonded with Seb and I thought he’d have a dad who would love him and look after him. I suppose I thought that the truth would never come out.”  
“I do love him,” Robert replied, “but I can never forgive you for this...never.”  
Suddenly, Bex collapsed back onto the bed and went limp and lifeless. Robert rushed outside to summon help.   
Aaron, with Vic and Seb, reappeared just as medical staff were rushing into Bex’s room. In all the commotion, Aaron didn’t notice at first that Robert had tears in his eyes. They watched as Bex was quickly wheeled away to an operating theatre and they went to wait in the family room with Seb.  
“What’s the matter?” Aaron asked as he sat next to Robert and noticed how upset he was.  
“Just before she collapsed, Bex told me that I’m not Seb’s father.”  
“What?” Vic couldn’t believe her ears, “Had Joe Tate been playing mind games with her too? You know how confused she could get. I expect he convinced her that his version of the story was real.”  
Aaron put a comforting arm around Robert’s shoulders.  
“No Vic, she was very lucid just now,” Robert continued, “I could tell she was being honest. Seb is Joe Tate’s. She said I can’t be the father as I was drunk that night. She said I passed out and she left me to sleep it off. Nothing happened according to her,” Robert said, between sobs.   
They were all shocked: none more so than Robert. They waited for news of Bex and, after an hour, a young doctor appeared, looking rather glum. “Are you here with Rebecca White?”  
Vic answered, “Yes.”  
“I’m very sorry to tell you that Rebecca didn’t make it.”  
“What?” Vic spoke for them all, “She was talking to us a little while ago.”  
The doctor continued, “Rebecca had a blood clot on the brain, we believe as a result of her car accident and subsequent head injury a few months back. I think this latest trauma with the gunshot wound had made things worse. I’m sorry, we did our best, but it was inoperable, we couldn’t save her.”  
xxxxxxxxxx  
Robert and Aaron dropped Vic back at Keeper’s Cottage. They offered to take Seb back to the Mill, but Vic insisted on keeping Seb at her place overnight. She was very fond of the little mite and said it would be company for her and keep her occupied.   
That night, Robert climbed into bed with a heavy heart. His belief that he was Seb’s father was shattered.  
Aaron climbed into bed alongside him. He knew that Robert was not in the mood to make love to him but that was the last thing on his mind. He just wanted to support Robert in any way that he could.   
Suddenly, the floodgates opened for Robert and he howled, tears streaming down his face as he wept uncontrollably. Aaron had never seen him so upset and quickly scooped Robert into his strong arms. He started to cry too as Robert’s head rested on his big chest: it was hurting him too, as the love of his life was in so much pain.  
“I’m sorry!” Robert gulped between sobs.  
Aaron picked up on the reason for Robert’s apology, “Shhh! Don’t be,” he cooed, “You can’t always be the strong one. You’ve had a hell of a shock after Bex’s confession. Just let it all out, babe. I’m here.”  
Robert took comfort in Aaron’s words. He felt his husband’s hand stroking his hair, trying to relax him. Still with his head on Aaron’s chest, he spoke again, “I don’t know how I could cope with all this if I didn’t have you.”  
“Well, you have got me,” Aaron replied softly, “You’ve got me forever: I’ll always be here for you.”  
Robert lifted his head to look into Aaron’s watery eyes, “Look at us,” he said, “a right pair of cry babies, aren’t we?”  
Aaron gave Robert a quick peck on the lips, “If we can cry together, then that’s love. How many people do you know in your life that you can cry with and share your pain?”  
Robert felt better. His soul mate was by his side and he knew that he could face anything, “Poor Seb, he’s an orphan now. If Joe Tate really was his father then both his parents are dead.”  
“But,” Aaron corrected him, “he has two parents who love him and will look after him: he’s part of our family now. If there’s one thing that Paddy has taught me, it’s that a surrogate father can love you like his own flesh and blood.”  
Robert looked at Aaron, he loved him more than life itself, “You’re amazing, do you know that, Mr Sugden?”  
“Mr Sugden?” Aaron liked the sound of that, “Let’s talk to Harriet tomorrow, we haven’t set a date yet.”  
“So, you want a church wedding after all?”  
“As long as I end up legally married to you and with Liv and Seb in our family, I don’t care. But I know Liv has her heart set on being a bridesmaid and my Mum wants an excuse to put her glad rags on.”  
Robert knew that Aaron would not admit that he wanted a church wedding for himself, but that was ‘his Aaron’: the man he loved more than life itself. He could not wait to be married to this very special man.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Robert and Aaron are in for further shocks, but a happy event changes their future

Strongest of All – Chapter 5  
-O-  
DISCLAIMER: I am not connected to Emmerdale and its characters, which belong to ITV  
-O-  
The next morning, Vic brought Seb round to the Mill. Robert and Aaron made their customary fuss over him and then Vic laid him gently in the cot that Robert had bought for him.   
They were all stunned at Rebecca’s death. They sat in silence for a while and then Vic spoke up, “I can’t believe Bex lied like that. She made me think I was Seb’s auntie,” she looked at Robert, “I can only imagine how you must feel.”  
“When she told me, I wanted to throttle her! Ironic, isn’t it?” Robert looked a bit pale, “The last thing I said to her was that I could never forgive her. That makes me such a bad person, knowing that they were the last words that she ever heard in this life.”   
“No, it doesn’t,” Vic reassured her brother, “you couldn’t have known what was going to happen and I’d have said exactly the same thing: I’ll never forgive her either. She pretended that Seb was my nephew and that she was my friend, but that was probably a lie too. She was just using us. Anyway, I can still be his auntie, even if I’m a surrogate!”  
A knock at the door interrupted them. Aaron went to answer it to find Graham on the doorstep.   
“Sorry to call on you so early. Can I come in for a minute?” Graham asked.  
Aaron stood to one side to allow Graham to enter and he looked around to see Robert and Vic, who had both risen to their feet, “I’m glad you’re all here together,” he said as he sat down after Aaron offered him a seat.  
“I’ve heard from Joe’s lawyers following his death,” Graham continued, “I’ve just come to tell you that Joe changed his last will and testament recently. He had a paternity test done to confirm that he was Seb’s father, and then he bequeathed the majority of his estate to his son. Seb won’t be able to touch the money yet, as it is held in trust until he reaches the age of eighteen. Now, this next bit might sound strange as he’s still a baby, but he is entitled to live at Home Farm as its new owner!”  
“Wow!” Robert sat down with this latest shock.   
“The reason I wanted to speak to you all is that you are the closest thing that Seb has to a family now. Which means that you will be his legal guardians until he turns eighteen,” Graham said, “As Seb is only a baby: you will need to look after his interests for him. That includes the cash that he has in his trust and also his property. Someone has to take on responsibility for the upkeep of Home Farm on his behalf.”   
Robert eyed Graham suspiciously, “I assume you want to still live at Home Farm? Is that why you’ve come here to speak to us?”  
“You misunderstand me,” Graham replied, “I’m not here to stake any claim to Home Farm, or to Seb. I have just come to give you the details of Joe’s solicitors, so that you know who to deal with regarding the contents of his will. Robert, I have told them to contact you as Seb’s legal guardian: I know he’s a son to you, just as Joe was a son to me without him being my blood. I will leave Home Farm as quickly as possible.”  
“Where will you go? Will you be alright?” Aaron asked. It was typical of him to be concerned for another person’s welfare.  
“Don’t worry on my account,” Graham looked at Aaron warmly, “Joe left me a small fortune in his will. I’ve got more than enough to buy myself a nice house somewhere. Joe also left a lot of money to his half-brother Noah but, like Seb, his is in trust until he’s eighteen. As for the Waterhouse empire, Joe gave me full control over that, so I’m going to be very busy from now on.”  
“So, what happens now?” Robert asked.  
“The solicitors will draw up all the legal paperwork. But, as long as you are happy to be Seb’s legal guardians, I can’t see that there will be any problems. They will hand over the keys to Home Farm to you in due course, as they will be Seb’s property, although the legalities might take a while to sort out. But then, legal matters always do.”  
Robert still could not quite take in what was happening. He had often schemed in the past to take over Home Farm and now, practically without any effort on his part, it had literally fallen into his lap. He knew that he was not the legal owner of Home Farm, but it belonged to the lad who was now his surrogate son.   
“Oh, by the way,” Graham continued, “I’ve heard from the police. Apparently they found new evidence and they’ve charged a man called Mick Macfarlane for the murder of Joe and the manslaughter of Rebecca.”  
“Mick Macfarlane!” Aaron exclaimed, he recognised the name from his youth, “I once had a run-in with their family, years ago: they are a nasty bunch. Did the Macfarlane family have a feud with Joe Tate?”  
Graham looked thoughtful, “That’s what I wondered at first. But after he was arrested, Macfarlane squealed and said that he was acting as a hit-man. He was working for a guy called Kevin Wainwright.”  
“Kevin Wainwright!” it was Robert’s turn to exclaim in surprise, “I knew him. He had a grudge against Joe Tate for ruining his business. But I didn’t think he was mad enough to kill him over that. Now I can see why Wainwright told the police that I was at war with Tate over gaining access to Seb, he probably thought he could frame me for the murder.”  
“There was more to it than that,” Graham explained, “Joe was having an affair with Wainwright’s wife, and I think that’s why he had it in for him.”  
After Graham had left, they all sat in silence and digested the latest news.  
Finally, Victoria looked at Aaron and Robert and spoke, “He’s a good guy, that Graham.”  
“Yeah, makes you wonder why he was working for a scumbag like Joe Tate,” Aaron injected so much bile into his statement that it reminded Robert of Cain Dingle’s style of speech.  
Aaron and Victoria were both due for a stint at the Woolpack, whilst Robert stayed at the Mill to look after Seb. Being that all three of them worked in the family business, they decided, along with Chas, that they could arrange their shifts on a rota to include child-care arrangements for Seb, so that one of them would be free to look after him at any given time.   
xxxxxxxxxx  
A few weeks passed by and Robert and Aaron arranged to meet Harriet at the church and discuss their forthcoming wedding.  
“Yes, I’d be happy to perform the ceremony,” Harriet said, “I did it the last time, remember?”  
“Yes, but that was unofficial and, well, you know what happened afterwards, this is a small village and news travels fast,” Robert replied.   
“Plus, we want to do it properly this time,” Aaron said, “without the police bursting in and ruining it.”  
Harriet smiled, “Well, you two have come the long way around, that’s for sure. But I can see you are meant to be together and deeply devoted to each other and I’m only too happy to help.”  
Aaron and Robert thanked Harriet and then walked back from the church to their home at the Mill. Robert had a couple of surprises for Aaron when they arrived. He held up an envelope and waved it in the air, “I thought we’d set the ball rolling before we get married,” he said.  
Aaron looked on but was completely perplexed. Robert loved it when Aaron didn’t understand something: he was a ‘little boy lost’ at times like these and Robert found it so cute, “What have you got there?” Aaron asked.  
“It’s an application to change our names by deed poll,” Robert explained, “What do you fancy? Dingle? Sugden? Dingle-Sugden? Sugden-Dingle? You choose.”   
“How about ‘Muppet’?” Aaron replied, but he was only joking. He crossed the room to Robert, threw his arms around his husband and kissed him passionately.  
When they broke the kiss, Robert stared into the pair of blue eyes that he adored. “Well?” he said.  
“Dingle-Sugden,” Aaron answered, “it sounds better that way round.”  
“Yes, I agree,” Robert was beaming, “Dingle-Sugden it is then. Now, I’ve got another surprise for you too.”  
“Surprises I can cope with,” Aaron smiled, “it’s shocks that do me head in.”  
Robert fished in his pocket and produced some keys. “I went into Hotten this morning to the solicitor’s office. We now have access to Seb’s house.”  
“That’s great, but we’ll only be caretakers, won’t we? I mean, we’ve just got to keep things ticking over, it’s Seb’s property when he is old enough.”  
“Yes, I know,” Robert reassured Aaron that he no longer had a desire to own Home Farm, “but we do have to make sure it is properly maintained until he is of legal age and can look after it for himself. But, if you want to still live here, in the Mill, then that’s fine.”  
“Don’t you want to? Still live here I mean.”  
“Aaron, you know how much I love this house, it’s our first home together.”  
“You put a lot of work into it. Because of that: because there is so much of you in it, I don’t think I’d ever want to leave.”   
“I feel the same. The Mill is special to me too. But I think it’s wise if we stay at Home Farm sometimes. If there is no-one there on a regular basis, it might become derelict and in danger of vandalism.”  
“Yeah, I suppose you’re right. Mind you, Home Farm would be handy for one thing soon,” Aaron said.  
“What’s that?”  
“Well, we can use it for our wedding reception, can’t we? It’s big enough to hold a function for all the villagers.”  
“That’s a great idea!” Robert looked at Aaron fondly, “I’ve got such a clever husband.”  
“I’m not just a pretty face!” Aaron chuckled.  
Robert had to agree, but he thought that his beautiful husband had the prettiest face that he had ever seen.  
xxxxxxxxxx  
The next day, Aaron happened to see Paddy in Bob’s cafe, “I’m glad I’ve bumped into you,” he said.  
“Sounds ominous,” Paddy was in a jocular mood as always.   
Aaron ordered them both a coffee and they sat down to drink it.  
“I want to ask you a favour,” Aaron was not sure whether Paddy would be receptive to his idea, given Paddy’s history with Robert, but he went ahead anyway, “You’ve always been like a dad to me. Will you be best man at my wedding to Robert?”  
Paddy smiled, “Aaron, are you happy?”   
Aaron looked bemused, “You know me, I wouldn’t be going ahead unless I was happy. Yes, I’m happier than I’ve ever been. I know you don’t like Robert but, him and me, we know each other inside out now. We have no more secrets and I know he’d never hurt me again. I love him so much.”  
“I can see he loves you too,” Paddy answered, ”I also know he was an idiot for sleeping with Rebecca, but I can hardly cast the first stone as I was an idiot too when I broke Rhona’s heart with Tess. That sort of thing happens to the strongest of couples. It’s how you both move on from it that matters.”  
“So, Will you?” Aaron asked.  
“All I want is for you to be happy, Aaron, of course I’ll be your best man: I’d be honoured.”  
They both stood up and embraced...father and son once again.   
xxxxxxxxxx  
St Mary’s was quite a small church and it was filled to capacity with wedding guests for Aaron and Robert’s big day. They were making history as the first male same-sex couple to get married in the village church, but that was of no importance to them. The important thing was that they would be officially married at last.  
Harriet smiled at them as she conducted the ceremony. She asked Robert to take the ring and slip it onto Aaron’s finger as he made his speech, “Aaron, I love you with every beat of my heart, for however long it beats. I know I didn’t keep all my promises last time, but this time I guarantee I will keep them. You are my life and you are it for me. To hurt you is to hurt myself: I know that now. I will never hurt you because it causes me such incredible pain that I know I could never survive it, or survive losing you again. I will love you, cherish you and care for you and only you for as long as I live.”   
Aaron then took the ring to place on Roberts’ finger. He was never one for speeches but he had come prepared and wanted to make his declaration in front of his nearest and dearest. “Robert, you are my oxygen. I can’t breathe without you. I once told you that I’d make it difficult for you and I did. But, you never gave up on me: not for one second. I also once told you that no-one had ever loved me the way you do. I am yours, Robert, no matter what you do or what I do, I am totally devoted to you and I will love you forever. I want to spend the rest of my life with you and only you.”   
Harriet concluded the ceremony, “Aaron and Robert, you have declared your commitment to each other in front of God and these witnesses here present. I now pronounce that you are officially married in the eyes of the law. You may now kiss your groom.”  
Aaron and Robert embraced and kissed and the congregation clapped and cheered. After all the laughter and the tears that they had been through in the past, they were finally joined together. They had beaten the odds and emerged the strongest of all.


End file.
